Toy with sparking device



Jung 10, 1924.

Filed April 5, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented June 10, 1924.

UNITED STATE.

HEINRICH KELLERMANN, OF BER-LIN, GERMANY.

TOY WXTH SPARKING DEVICE.

Application filed April 3, 1.922.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Dr. HEINRICH KELLER- MANN, chemist, citizen of Hungary, residing at Berlin, in Prussia, Germany, have invented new and useful Improvements in a Toy with Sparking Device, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a toy in which one part of a pyrophorous sparking device is connected with a part adapted to be rotated by hand, the other part of the sparking device being stationary with regard to the first part or movable in a different manner so that sparks are produced by'the movement of the rotatable part of the toy.

According to the invention the pyrophorous mass, the so called scintillant stone, is rotatably arranged in such a manner that it will rotate in the form of a circle and that in its rotation sparks are produced along a circle, whereby special effects are obtained. With a view to attain this object the pyrophorous sparking device is connected with a device consisting of a handle and a swinging arm rotatably connected with said handle, in such a manner that if the swinging arm is turned around the handle the one part of the sparking device is moved along the other part thereof.

The spark producing device may also be connected with other known toys or mounted on or in the same, for instance with a childs rattle, so that when the device is operated the rattling noise is produced simultane' ously with the sparks.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood, I shall proceed to describe the same with reference to the several forms of construction shown by way of example on the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a side elevation partly in section of a simple form of construction of the im proved toy.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1.

Figs. 3 and i show in plan view and in section a second form of construction.

Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate the combination of the spark producer with the toy rattle.

Figs. 7 and 8 show in side elevation and plan view respectively a modified form of construction.

Fig. 9 shows in side elevation a further form of construction, the pyrophorous mass being movably arranged with regard to the swingin arm.

Figs. .0 and 11 show a similar term of con Serial 1W0. 549,215.

struction in side elevation and plan view respectively.

In the toy illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 a small friction or scratcher wheel 3 is mounted upon the fixed axle 2 of a handle 1 and consists of a steel disk with milled or otherwise roughened convex surface or of a Wood disk with a cover of emery-paper or -cloth on its convex surface. Upon the axle 2 of the handle 1 a socket 4 is loosely arranged, which is shown in Fig. 1 in longitudinal section, and in this socket the pyrophorous mass 5, which preferably consists of a piece of cerium alloy, e. g. iron-cerium, is located and pressedin the well known manner by the action of a spring 6 against the friction wheel 5. The socket 4: is mounted by its arms 7 upon the axle 2 so that it can turn around this axle. At the outer end of socket 4:, for instance upon the screw cap 8, an arm 9 is fixed which carries at its end a weight 10 serving as fly body.

The toy is used in the following manner 1- Tl'lG'lltUICllG 1 is gripped with one hand and the fiy-weight 10 is swung round so that the arm 9 with the socket 4t and the scintillant stone 5 rotates around the friction wheel or scratcher 3. Consequently sparks are continuously produced along a circular path. It is evident that the socket 4 or the arms 7 of the same must be arranged in such a manner that the sparks are always visible. If the productionof the sparks has to be interrupted at certain points of the circumference of the wheel, the corresponding parts of the wheel rim are smooth, that is to say not roughened or not covered with emerypaper or the like so that the scintillant stone moves along these parts of the friction wheel without producing sparks. Such a construction of the friction wheel can be used also in connection with the forms of construction which will he hereinafter described.

Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate the combination of the simple toy shown in Figs. 1 and 2 with an ordinary childs rattle. Upon the axle .12 of the handle 11 not only the usual toothed wheels 13 of the rattle, but also the friction wheel 1% for the spark producing device are mounted. In the form of construction shown the friction wheel 14: is arranged outside the frame 15 of the rattle above a rope pulley 16. Upon the surface ofthe frame 15 of the rattle the socket 17 for the scintillant cerium stone 18 is fixed. The socket with its contents are ccnstructed a hereinhefore described. The rope pulley 16 is connected with a second rope pulley 20 by means of an endless rope or string 19, said second rope pulley being loosely mounted upon an axle 21 fixed inthe frame 15. The second rope pulley 20 is rigidly connected with the second friction wheel 22 against which a scintillant stone 23. mounted in a socket 'or sleeye 2'? shown insection in Fig. 5. is pressed by the action of a spring 24. The sleeve '25 is lifted upon the frame 1:"). As the rope pulley 20 and the friction wheel 22 rigidly connected with the same does not only rotate around the axle 12 if the rattle is being swung, but also rotates around its own axle 21 and rotates consequently also relatively to the scintillant stone 23, which swings around the axle 12 together with the rattle, sparks will also he produced by this second ppyrophorous sparking device along a circle path. In this manner two spark circles ar'eproduced which are situated eccentrically'to one another, one of these circles atthe same time going round the other.

In a similar manner several other spark ci'rolescan be produced; It is evident that several spark circles can be produced also in caseswhere thetoy is .not combined with a rattle. The movement can be transmitted from the axle of the handle upon the axles of the other friction wheels with the aid of sprocket wheels and chains or of toothed wheels or of friction wheels in gear with one another. instead of the shown transmission. On the other hand the combination ofthe toy with the childs rattle can be used also for the production of-only one spark circle, in which case the rope pulleys or other transmission means are unnecessary.

In "the form of construction shown in Figs. 7 and Sthe swinging arm consists of a strip ofsheet metal which is bent in U-shape to form a frame. The ends of the arms a and a of thisiframe are rotatably mounted upon the axle e of handle f. The friction wheel on in this case is not mounted upon the axle e of the handle f but upon a separate shaft n. which is journalled in the arms a, a of the swinging frame. A toothed wheel {I is keyed upon-the airle and engages with a pinion lifkeyed-upon an intermediary shaft 0.1 A toothed wheel 77" also keyed-upon this intermediary shaft 0 serves for transmitting thexmovem'e'nt to a pinion 'z' 'of the shaft 1?. The scintillant stone 18 is mounted in a slee e p which is pressed by the action of a spring 1", fixed upon the arm rt. against the circumference of the friction wheelm which is also arranged above this arm a;

Upon'the axle e ofthe handle 7 a toothed wheel] is'ffurther arranged-which meshes with :an elastic blade of "sheet metal is fixed between the arms -a,. a.-

, Owing to the toothed wheel-transmission.

the s af th the friction Wheel m will be rapidly rotated if the swinging frame a, a is swung around the axle c of the handle f, the scintillant cerium stone 18 rotating with the swinging frame. In consequence of this relative movement of the friction wheel at with regard to the cerium stone a great number of large sparks is produced which sparks together form a circle as the cerium stone 18 moves in a circle around the handle f. A rattling noise is produced at the same time by the blade of sheet metal I. sliding along the teeth of the wheel I.

In the form of construction shown in Figs. 3 and 4 several sockets 27, one of which is shown in section, are fixed like the spokes of a wheel upon the lived axle 28 of the handle 26. A wheel loosely mounted upon the axle 28 of handle 26 carries the friction surfaces 29. In the form of construetion shown these friction surfaces are arranged upon the inner surface ofthe wheel rim 30 which is opposite thescintillant stones 31. as can be: seen from Fig. 4, the.

pass from the friction surfaces to the smooth" surfaces of the wheel rim 30.

But the inner surface of the wheel rim 3O couldalso be entirely made as frictionsurface. On the 0th ,1 hand the scintillant stones can be arranged movable andt-he friction surface stationary so that with this form of construction too, a circle of sparks could be produced. The friction surfaces interrupted by smooth parts can be further arranged in such a manneiuthat always at least one scintillant stone is in contactwith a friction surface when the toy is being used so that sparks are continuously produced.

In the form of construction shown in Fig. 9 the swinging arms (I. a. the handle 7. the toothed wheels and pinions g, h, h i, the ratchet wheel 7 and the pawl or blade 1' are arranged and constructed as described with reference to Figs. 7 and 8. The scintillant stone and its sleeve l) are rcvoluhly mounted by means of a blade springd upon the shaft nwhich carries the pinion i. Thehlade spring (Z presses the rotating sc intillant stone against the abrasivefriction mass or scratcher c which is directly arranged upon the outer surface of theswinging arm m The construction shown in Figs. 10 andll is similar to that shownin-Figfl with the difference however that the support of the ill) lllll pyrophorous mass here consists of a revoluble rod 65 which carries upon its ends the sleeves b and b for two scintillant stones. These sleeves b and Z) are adapted to be displaced in slots d of rod d as can be seen from Fig. 11 and they can be fixed in any convenient position by means of screws. This sparking device proper rotates with the shaft which carries the pinion 2' and which has a nut d upon the upper end. The elastic pressure of the scintillant stones against the friction surface is produced by the individual elasticity of the swinging frame a, (1', whereby the part a; of this arm is pressed against the lower surface of the scintillant stones. This pressure can beregulated by means of'the nut d. The friction or scratcher surface itself here consists of a strip of sand-paper, emery-paper or the like which is held in flaps n of sheet metal which can be stamped out of the material of the swinging arm i A similar arrangement of pyrophorous mass and friction plate can be provided upon the outer surface of the part a of the swinging frame so that sparks then will be produced at both sides of the swinging frame, bot-h spark producing devices being operated from the same shaft so that only one driving mechanism and no separate spring are wanted for both devices.

The spark producing device can be mounted in transparent or translucent cases consisting for instance of coloured glass panes. Reflectors, reflecting spheres and similar means can be arranged in the swinging arms or in the bearings for the scintillant stones or at other convenient points in order to increase the effect of the sparks.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention, I declare that what I claim is 1. In a toy with a spark producing device formed of pyrophorous mass and scratcher, a handle, a swinging arm rotatably arranged on said handle, a wheel fixed on the axle of said handle, a second wheel of smaller diameter arranged on said swinging arm, said second wheel being in engagement with said first named wheel, one of said parts of the spark producing device being connected with said second wheel, and the other part of the spark producing device being arranged on said swinging arm.

2. In a toy with a spark producing device formed of pyrophorous mass and scratcher, a handle, a swinging arm rotatably arranged on said handle, a wheel fixed on the axle of said handle, a shaft arranged on said swinging arm parallel to the axis of said handle, a second wheel of smaller diameter on said shaft, said second wheel being in engagement with said first named wheel. one of the parts of the sparking device being connected with said second wheel, and the other part of the spark producing device being arranged onsaid swinging arm.

3. In a toy with a spark producing device formed of pyrophorous mass and scratcher, a handle, a swinging arm rotatably arranged on said handle, a toothed wheel fixed on the axle of said handle, a second toothed wheel-of smaller diameter than said first one and in engagement therewith, a shaft mounted in said swinging arm, said shaft being connected with said second toothed wheel of smaller diameter, one of said cooperative parts of the spark producing device arranged on and the other part of said spark producing device being fastened to said swinging arm.

l. In a toy with a spark producing device formed of pyrophorous mass and scratcher, a handle, a swinging arm rotatably arranged on said handle, a toothed wheel fixed on the axle of said handle, a second toothed wheel of smaller diameter than said first one and in engagement therewith, an abrasive wheel mounted on a shaft, said shaft being arranged on said swinging arm and in engagement with said second toothed wheel of smaller diameter, the pyrophorous mass being fastened to said swinging arm.

5. In a toy with a spark producing device formed of pyrophorous mass and scratcher, a handle, a swinging arm rotatably arranged on said handle, a toothed wheel fixed on the axle of said handle, a gear of smaller diameter than said toothed wheel and in engagement therewith, one of said cooperative parts of the spark producing device arranged on a shaft mounted in said swinging arm, said shaft being connected with said gear, a ratchet wheel on the axle of said handle, a flexion spring in engagement with said ratchet wheel and fastened to said swinging arm, the other part of said spark producing device also being fastened to said swinging arm.

6. In a toy with a spark producing device formed of pyrophorous mass and scratcher, a handle, a swinging arm rotatably arranged on said handle, a toothed wheel fixed on the axle of said handle, a second toothed wheel of smaller diameter than said first one and in engagement there with, one of said cooperative parts of the spark producing device arranged on a shaft mounted in said swinging arm, said shaft being connected with said second toothed wheel of smaller diameter and the other part of said spark producing device being fastened to said swinging arm, said swinging arm being formed of a U-shaped elastic frame.

7. In a toy with a spark producing device formed of pyrophorous mass and scratcher, a handle, a swinging arm rotatably arranged on said handle, a toothed wheel fixed on the axle of said handle, a second toothed wheel of'smaller diameter than said first one andin engagement therewith, one of said cooperative parts of the spark producing devic'e arranged on a shaft mounted in said swinging arm, said shaft being connected'with said second toothed wheel of smaller diameter and the otherpart of'said spark producing device being fastened to said swinging arm, said swinging arm being formed of a U-shaped metallic strip.

8. In a toy with ajspark producing device formed of pyrophorous mass and scratcher, a handle, a swinging arm rotatably arranged on said handle, a toothed wheel fixed on the axle of said handle, a second toothed wheel of smaller diameter than said first one andin engagement therewith, one of said cooperative parts of the spark producing device arranged on a shaft mounted in said swinging arm, said shaft being connected with said second toothed wheel of smaller diameter and the other part of said spark producing device being fastened to said swinging arm, said swinging arm. being formed ofa frame, said toothed wheels and the gears being arranged between the parts of said frame, the cooperative parts of said spark producing device being arranged on the outside of said frame.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

DR. HEINRICH KELLERMANN. \Vitnesses ARTHUR Somzonnnn, DORTS IIOFFMANN. 

